


Time Sides With Love

by Shipper_trash



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst with a Happy Ending, Childhood Friends, Good Peter Hale, Idiots in Love, M/M, Parent Derek Hale, Stiles does not cope well, Surrogacy, he gets better later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:34:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28503057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shipper_trash/pseuds/Shipper_trash
Summary: 5 times everyone believes Stiles and Derek are in love, and 1 time it is true.Well. That was what I started with. It spiraled out, though, and it is more angsty instead of fluffy, but I am proud of it.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Jennifer Blake/Derek Hale, Malia Argent-Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 106





	Time Sides With Love

_**i. Claudia and Talia** _

Despite the huge age difference, Talia and her have been best friends all their lives. It happened long ago, when she was just a little girl, four-years in age but fourteen in behavior. She had been invited to her classmate, Peter Hale’s, fifth birthday party along with the rest of the class. There, she met a twelve-year-old, bored out of her mind, Talia Hale, and they struck a friendship. 

More than two decades later, and they are still going strong. 

“Your son has way too much energy,” Talia comments, dropping down on the couch tiredly. Claudia hides her smile behind her glass of water, looking down at the floor where her only son and Talia’s youngest are locked in some sort of tournament with poor, gullible Derek appointed as the judge. 

“I sometimes wonder if he _is_ my son. I can’t remember a time when I had so much energy, all the time,” She replies, honestly wondering if her husband, John, used to be so. As lazy as he is when at home, she doesn’t think so. 

Suddenly, the clinking noises of Legos stop, as does the occasional silly arguments between Cora and Stiles, and both mothers look towards their kids, only to find them locked in an intense stare-off with each other, hands in front of their respective... castles? They look like castles. 

Derek roams his eyes over Stiles’ castle first, apparently very serious about his role as the judge, and then nods at Stiles. “Your castle is impressive,” he says. 

Stiles cheers. “Did you see the turrets? I made turrets!” Derek scowls. He points to one part of the castle. He raises his eyebrow – which looks very much like Peter’s expressive ones! Wow – and Stiles nods vigorously. Cora mutters, “My head hurts seeing you do that, stop.” Derek, on the other hand, puts his hands on the back of Stiles’ neck to stop him. 

When Stiles stops, Cora asks, “Anyways, what is a turret?” Stiles starts answering her while Derek appraises her version of a castle. 

“He has a very good vocabulary for a five-year-old,” Talia mutters, and Claudia nods. 

“Just some good uses of his apparently endless energies. I’m just hoping he doesn’t get bored of it like did with drums,” they’d paid so much money for that, and Stiles had gotten bored only two weeks in the lessons. At least Scott was still interested, so they’d given it to him. He didn’t mind; it gave him something new to do. 

They watch in amusement when Derek announces Cora as the winner, and Stiles declares war by accusing the judge to be biased. 

“Do you even know what it means?” Derek asks, unimpressed and a little offended if the pinch in his brows is any indication. 

“Yes!” Stiles shouts, “It means you prefer Cora, because she’s your sister,” he pouts. He’s been wanting a baby brother or sister since the last Christmas, and there’s only so many excuses one can give a child. Truth is, they are perfectly happy with one child and money will be tight with more. 

Cora has already lost interest in the boys in favor of tailing Laura around the house; Laura is thirteen and now-a-days too busy to play with her siblings. This is the only way Cora gets to talk to her, Claudia thinks. Derek, though, gets even more offended and crosses his arms. Talia and her share a look as they watch the scene unfold. 

“I don’t,” Derek says. Stiles turns away. 

“You do,” he insists. He won’t look at Derek’s face, though. “Her castle isn’t even good! Mine had _turrets_ ,” 

The ten-year-old pulls off a very good done-with-everything look. “Stiles,” he says, exasperated. When the boy doesn’t turn, he forces him to, who sputters and tries to push Derek away. (It doesn’t work, of course.) “Stiles, you don’t even have a door to get inside your awesome castle,” 

“It does!” 

“It does not,” 

“You’re lying,” Stiles narrows his eyes. 

Derek picks up the said castle and shoves it in Stiles’ face. Stiles looks it over, then calmly puts it back in Derek’s hands, and sits down on the carpet dejectedly. Talia tuts, and starts to get up from her seat, no doubt to bring him ice-cream to cheer him up. However, she doesn’t have to, as Derek hugs Stiles from behind and murmurs something in his ear, which makes the boy light up like the Christmas tree no doubt still standing in Peter’s and Chris’ home. Then, Stiles starts laughing and dashes past the house and Derek follows, fake growling. 

Cora and Laura come into the room then, Cora says, “I wanna play too!” but her sister stops her. 

“Let the two boyfriends sort themselves out,” she says, and Talia and Claudia laugh warmly at that. Cora seems entranced by the idea of Stiles being her brother-in-law, and Claudia says, “Mmh, suppose that will be easiest way to have all this money to myself,” 

“I’d love to see our families joined,” Talia adds, and the day goes on. 

_**ii. Scott and Isaac** _

Scott thinks his life is definitely movie-worthy. These are the most important reasons why: 

A) His father left him and his mom when he was little. 

B) His mom adopted an emotionally scarred but otherwise awesome kid of his age, Isaac Lahey. 

C) She found love again with the new doctor that came to Beacon Hills only three years ago and married him, making him and Isaac older brothers to one Liam Dunbar. 

D) He has a best friend, Stiles, who thinks he’s not popular material but who clearly is, with his brain and looks and _Derek Hale,_ clearly the man he’s going to marry, even if he doesn’t know it yet. 

Scott has to remedy that. He can’t let his best friend think that he’s in love with Lydia Martin (he is clearly not) any longer. It has already been two long years. Liam cries and gets angry a lot. 

So, he and Isaac corner Stiles one day in their room. “Stiles,” his brother starts, eager. “Who do you love the most?” 

Stiles gives them a weird look. “My parents,” he says, slowly. Scott face-palms. Visibly. 

“No! I meant, as in who are you going to marry type of love?” Isaac amends. 

“Oh,” Stiles blushes. Scott hopes his best friend has finally come to his senses. “Lydia, of course. You know this,” apparently not. 

“Yeah, yeah, you have a ten-year-plan to woo her and all,” Scott sighs. 

That day isn’t successful. So what? They have more time. They can corner Derek. He comes over regularly to pick up Stiles for their one-on-one time aka ‘dates.’ They just need to realise they are _dates._

It happens the next day. Isaac is out with Erica and Boyd, something about buying a birthday present for Danny, when Derek comes over. He and Stiles are alone at home; Stiles is sleeping while he is trying to find something to eat. His parents are working and Liam is with Ms. Claudia. 

When he opens the door, Derek greets him, briefly, and asks, “Stiles?” Scott will never get used to how Derek uses the least amount of words possible. He supposes opposites attract. 

“He’s sleeping. He slept late last night, so I’m letting him sleep for more than hour,” he allows the fifteen-year-old inside the house. This is one of the few people who is allowed to come whenever in the McCall-Dunbar household. 

Derek gets comfortable in the living room while Scott brings them both water and snacks. “Yeah. We were watching this new show,” Derek says. 

“Oh?” 

Talking about Stiles is the only time Derek speaks like a normal person. It is so clear how much he loves Stiles, why can’t they see it? “It was super interesting. We got sucked into it and before we knew, it was late in the night. Ms. Claudia allowed us to be awake till late because, you know, Sunday. I even got to sleep in till noon, but I have my job at the garage, so I had to leave,” 

“You stayed over? In the same bed?” 

Derek frowns. “Of course. We always do,” 

Scott smiles. “You two are the cutest couple I know,” 

Before he knows, Derek is out of the house. He doesn’t come to their house for a long while after that. Neither does Stiles. They don’t talk much the next few months, and one day, he hears gossip that Derek is dating Paige, a girl in his class. 

Scott doubts himself for the first time on his theory that Derek and Stiles love each other. 

_**iii. Allison and Lydia** _

Allison Argent-Hale may not be as close to Stiles as Scott is, but she knows when something is bothering the normally hyper kid. Especially when Scott and Isaac both complain how he’s not talking to them, and back home when she sees Derek moping too, even though he should be overjoyed at having his first girlfriend, she knows where the problem lies. 

That, coupled with how both boys tense at the other’s name and how they haven’t been in the same room for three whole months now, is what urges her to talk to one or both of them. But she needs support, and who better than her best friend? 

Derek and her live in the same house, so she targets him first - Her parents said it was getting too difficult to wrangle all three of them by themselves, so this moving back in with papa Peter's older sister was necessary - After she and Lydia are done with their homework, they enter Derek’s room where he’s sat on his bed, a book in his hands, looking at it sadly. It’s the latest Harry Potter’s book – Stiles and Derek always read them together. 

“Der?” she calls out, and her cousin startles. 

“Allison. Your friend,” he replies. 

“Lydia Martin,” she introduces herself. Allison rolls her eyes; of course Derek would not know the girl who has been in this house too many times already. 

Derek’s jaw tightens at her name. Allison doesn’t think much for it, although Lydia’s gaze becomes steely at the small movement. “Why are you two here?” 

“Derek, you are my cousin, and I love you. You know that, right?” she starts. Derek nods. “And I love Stiles. He is like another brother to me. I don’t know what has happened between you two, but I can’t see you two mope around anymore,” 

“Stiles hasn’t once tried to get my attention in these last few months, and that boy was committed. He tried at least twice a day,” Lydia adds. Derek mopes more aggressively than before. 

She sits on the edge of his bed, carefully. “Please. Did he make fun of Paige? Or has she disallowed you from seeing him?” 

“I am not _seeing_ Stiles,” Derek seethes, “and why would Paige decide if we get to talk and meet?” 

“Then what is the problem,” she uses her hard voice, that gets Malia to listen to her at once. They may be only a year apart, but she is older and she has benefits. Even Jax listens to this voice. 

Derek doesn’t say anything. Then, “Ask your boyfriend,” 

“I don’t have-” 

“Scott.” Lydia interrupts. Allison blushes; she does find Stiles’ best friend cute, and maybe when they’re older... 

“What did he say?” She asks, urging the blush to go away. Derek looks at her curiously. “What?” 

“You don’t... feel, like, angry when I call him that?” She’s used to her cousins’ way of talking. She gets what he’s asking. Honestly, she thinks she knows the problem. But she plays along. 

“No. Why should I?” she asks. 

Derek looks to the wall on their right; Lydia has taken residence on Derek’s desk chair and is flipping through the vast number of comics kept there. “He’s your friend. You don’t like him like that, do you?” 

She thinks for a minute before answering. “He is my friend,” she concedes, “and I don’t like him like that. But that’s _now._ I have no idea what will happen in the future. I may start to like him like that, who knows? Maybe he is the one I will marry.” 

Derek looks at her for a long moment. “What if... what if you’ve known him your whole life and you can’t lose him, if you break-up. What if he’s too young and you’re not sure how you feel about him?” 

“As long as you care about Stiles, I don’t think it matters that you know what type of affection you have for him. You love him now, as a friend, and that is all there is to it. For now. Don’t listen to Scott or the others, listen to your heart.” Lydia says, and then, “Alli, come on. I think I know how to solve that one equation,” 

And then the leave. The next day, Stiles and Derek are back to themselves, joking and playing and talking and _not moping._

The week after that, Derek breaks-up with Paige and Stiles admits his feelings to Lydia. How he admires her, and is kind of jealous because she’s beautiful and smart. Derek gripes that Stiles is both, too. 

Her and Derek closer, after that. He becomes her confidant just as much as Lydia, and he’s the first one to whom she tells that she thinks she might just like Scott like that, two years later. And he’s also the first one to know that Scott asked her out, a month after she confessed to him. 

She ends up marrying Scott McCall. 

_**iv. John** _

John prides himself as the best deputy and Sheriff this County has seen. His wife’s encouragements just blows up his ego, really. So, when he’s the last one of the adults to know that there is a bet going on his son and Derek Hale, he has to rethink a lot of things. 

Firstly, how Stiles acts around Derek. How he’s more _Stiles_ than anything when the older boy (five years older!) is near him. How Derek scowls more when Stiles is around, but it is to keep the smiles at bay than actual scowling. How even little, eight-year-old Liam knows that Stiles and Derek love each other. 

Of course, everyone but Stiles and Derek know they love each other, according to everyone. But John knows it is not the case. 

He’s been rethinking a lot of things, and he’s learnt a lot from it. 

He remembers those damn three months when his son had been moping, and Derek hadn’t come once to meet him or take him. Then he’d heard from Nathan that Derek had started dating a girl, and he’d chalked up his son’s moods to the fact that Derek had no time for him. Of course, he’d been angry, but Claudia had told him let them solve it themselves. And Peter Hale had agreed. And well, when he agrees... 

Everything went back to normal the moment Derek broke-up with the girl. But it didn’t, did it? Derek and Stiles made-up, and then Derek broke-up. Which means Derek equates Stiles with _that_ kind of relationship. Derek was 15, then. Stiles was 10. John felt angry at the older boy. 

But then he realized Derek himself didn’t know how he felt about his son; it took him two more relationships, one with a girl and another with a boy, to figure things out. After all, a guy with Hale genes not dating for the past four years? That has got to mean something, and it is not ‘I don’t have time for it with my double major.’ 

At least by then Stiles was almost 13 and Derek went off to college in NYU. 

John thought, maybe Stiles will find someone else, closer to his age to fall in love with. But no, the distance just made his son realize just what exactly Derek means to him. Granted, it took him three years and definitely a lot of jealousy when last summer Derek brought home a girl named Braeden home – she was just a friend, though – and more bets were placed that by next year this time, they both will realize. 

John wrote down on his paper that they will confess in two years' time and put it, without prying eyes, inside the bet jar. 

Of course, nobody won, because Stiles started dating Malia Hale and all bets were called off. Derek didn’t come that summer. 

Malia broke-up with Stiles before their senior year, two years later, and John just had to say it. 

“Son,” he started, “I don’t care if you date man or a woman or anyone else. As long as you are true to your heart, I’ll always love you.” This was the closest he could come to say that he’s okay with Stiles dating Derek. His son was only a month shy from being legal, after all. 

When Stiles left for NYU, Derek had already proposed to Jennifer Blake – his girlfriend of one year – and they were living together in the big apple. 

If Stiles was going to follow his advice, he’d never know. 

All he knew was that Stiles became reserved and quiet and unlike himself the closer Derek's wedding day came; hardly as happy he should have been on Scott and Allison’s engagement party. 

And when Derek announced, only a month after his wedding, that he is going to be a father, well. John couldn’t help but sympathize with Stiles’ drinking habits. He didn’t know if Derek knew Stiles loved him; he didn’t know if Derek still loved his childhood friend. All he knew was they both cared for each other, and even though life kept them apart, and later in different cities, their hearts belonged to each other. 

_**v. Peter** _

Peter had always been aware of how idiot his nephew and Stiles were. But dating other people because they thought they needed to move on _because_ the other didn’t love them back had to be the worst idea ever. Even worse than his own first-year wedding anniversary gift to his husband. 

Stiles dated his daughter for two years before calling it quits and understanding that he won’t be able to move on from Derek. And Malia and him weren’t even dating as much as they were ridding themselves of their... urges. 

Chris and him had been very disappointed in their daughter. And so was Alli, to the point that she didn’t speak a word for half-a-year to her own sister. Peter understood; out of everyone, she is the closest to Derek. 

And then when Derek heard of Stiles dating, he went and got himself a girlfriend. Then they got fucking married and are now have a daughter together. It has been three years since their marriage, and yet, the idea remains absurd. 

He knows Derek is miserable in his marriage. That he is putting on a face, that he loves only little Hermione – and isn’t that too big a coincidence that he named his daughter after Stiles’ favorite character and name? - and hates her mother. Peter knows that Derek knows Jenny or whatever her name is with him only for money. 

He’s super happy when Derek finally sees sense and files for divorce after four years of marriage. Peter will gladly preside over the bearings of the court. 

“Derek,” it is their weekly skype meeting, and it’s time for work time now that Chris is done playing with ‘Mione, who has been put to sleep in her own room. For a three-year-old, she is very independent. “I know this is the time when we talk legal, but I have something to say that is coming from me as your dear uncle. I want you to talk to me, okay?” 

Derek is visibly confused, but he nods. 

“Why did you break-up with Paige?” 

“What? Why would you-” 

“Derek.” 

“That is in no way related-” 

“Oh, but it is. Now answer. Or stay married to Jenny.” 

Chris shouts “Jennifer!” from downstairs. Peter rolls his eyes. He has no need to remember that bitch’s name. 

Finally, Derek replies. “We didn’t feel right.” 

“Why, may I ask?” His nephew has always been an angry person; he can see that the meditation techniques Stiles had suggested once seem to be working. 

“I didn’t love her. I was confused at the time.” 

Peter nods, satisfied. “What about Heather?” 

Derek clenches his jaw, but he answers. “I- I thought, I should date. Everyone else in my class were. And she was pretty,” 

“And you were cute, and you dated, but you didn’t love her either, did you?” Derek nods. “You thought, then, that maybe girls aren’t your thing. And what better time to experiment than in High School? You dated Oliver,” 

“Is there a point to all this?” 

“Patience, Der-bear. Patience. You know how it is with your uncle,” Chris called. Peter chuckled. 

“Your uncle is right,” he admitted. “And then you didn’t date anyone for years and suddenly, you’re engaged. Merely months after Stiles started dating. Why?” 

“If,” Derek spoke through clenched teeth, his face red with anger or embarrassment or both, “You’re playing at making me _confess_ that I love Stiles, that I have since I was 15 and he was 10, that all others have been a way to make me move on. Then you’re right, Peter, I have. There. There, you have your fucking confession on how I’m a pedophile, on how I love Stiles so much he’s all I can think about, every second of every day, how I wish for him to be the other father of my daughter. But it will never happen. Stiles doesn’t love me, not like that, and he never will. He hardly gives a fuck about me now-a-days.” 

_Idiots._ “Why do you think he doesn’t care for you?” 

“Because he hasn’t called me once this month! I told him I was divorcing Jennifer, in hopes that maybe... but now he doesn’t even text me that much. He asks me about Hermione, but not me, never me. He’s obviously still in love with Malia; he turned to alcohol after they broke up and now that she announced she’s dating Kira? He’s been more distant,” 

Peter pinches his nose. These two will be the death of him. Even his surly Jackson has managed to find love, and here these two are, in love since childhood and yet. 

“Did you, or did you not, tell him that you’re divorcing her because you are miserable in this marriage or that you love another?” 

“I-” Derek looked down, then back at him. That is shifty behavior. Fucking God. 

“Did it ever occur to you that Stiles started dating – dating being a loose term here, let me tell you there were no feelings involved of any serious kind – Malia _after_ you brought Braeden home? She may have been your friend, but Stiles was a teenager and he made a stupid assumption and did a stupid thing. Which, yes, he should have stopped when he knew for sure you were not dating her, but by then you’d started dating this Jenny, and when Stiles reached New York you were already engaged. And that he hasn’t dated anyone aside from Malia? Did it ever occur to you that maybe he was doing what you did. Trying to move on from someone he loves but unable to?” 

From Derek’s expression, Peter knew that, he in fact, did not think so. 

“And then you have a daughter with your wife. I love ‘Mione, as does Stiles, but she is your daughter with someone else. You went and married someone because your love dated someone else, so I think Stiles being distant is justified. Not that you tried to ask him what’s wrong,” he held up his hand when Derek started to object, “with enough compulsion. Honestly, you are both idiots, and I can’t believe I have to tell you that you two love each other, but what can we do? Now, end this call, pick up your phone and call Stiles, and explain things to him. I want you two to be engaged and happy by ‘Mione’s fourth birthday. Bye.” 

He cut the call. 

He also cut the cake on Stiles’ and Derek’s wedding three years later and ate it with gusto, because no, Chris, he was not getting fat! And being in love does _not_ automatically fix things. 

_**\+ i. Stiles** _

Stiles woke up to two small hands on his face, a hand around his waist and hair tickling his face. Smiling, he opened his eyes, and found all three of his children standing in front of him with birthday hats on their heads. From behind him, he heard a deep, sexy voice whisper, “Happy birthday, love,” 

Their eldest, Hermione Stilisnki-Hale put on a birthday hat on his head before launching on her dad and waking him up. It didn’t matter to her that she was now fifteen and therefore too old for this; if she loved something, she did it. Even if it meant a more than usual grouchy Der-bear. 

Their twins, Maya and Damien, now four-year-old, jumped on him with little difficulty and kept abusing his stomach and hair until he woke up. They really do have their auntie and biological mom, Malia’s stubborn evil streak in them. 

But he loves them anyways. 

Especially when his family presents him with a week-long honeymoon trip with Derek while his mom and mom-in-law take care of the kids for them, and Stiles gets to call Derek his husband and kiss him in front of girls and guys trying to flirt with him. 

He’s so glad they’re both done being idiots. 

**Author's Note:**

> Author's notes: Malia and Kira get married, and they are the cool aunts of the family. Malia surrogates for Derek and Stiles (Stiles is the father) as well as Ethan and Jackson (Ethan is the father). You can decide who gets together with whom in this one for the others, though! You can HC anyone together, just keep in mind:  
> Scott, Isaac and Liam are siblings (adopted/step)  
> Allison, Malia and Jackson are siblings (half-siblings, in case of Alli and the other two and vice-versa) which means Derek, Cora and Laura are their cousins :) Just putting this out there because many ship Scisaac, Cora/Jax/Lydia and such, so. Not that I don't, because I do, but NOT in this particular story, just so we are clear. :)


End file.
